WeChat users and their data – cyber crooks' new target

WeChat virus defines a variety of adware, corrupted links, and malicious software posing itself as the well-known utility. The initial purpose of such felony is to wheedle out personal netizens' details and, therefore, money.

WeChat by Tencent, Ltd already claimed its titles as one of the most popular instant messaging utilities. According to ChainaChannel report, it encompasses more than 889 million active users. Originally, it is known as Weixin, which came into daylight on 2011.

Thus, as other numerous online popular services and apps which have already their counterparts: WhatsApp virus, Facebook virus variations, Viber, Gmail, eBay, etc, crooks pointed their daggers to WeChat as well. Note that due to the obscure form of the malware, you may not identify any dubious application to uninstall. However, excessive advertising, constant links to shady web pages might encourage you to look for WeChat virus removal ways. Reimage or Malwarebytes Anti Malware might help you do that faster.

Though there are different forms and shades of the malware, there is one particle deviation which stands out. In January 2016, the website ‘The Story of Me and WeChat’ was launched. However, shortly afterward, users started expressing their doubts that the web page contains malware. After visiting the web page, it supposedly clears all the money from Alipay’s account. Luckily, such suspicions turned out to be false.

Furthermore, another major conspiracy about the application occurred in September 2015. In order to carry out their misdeeds, the racketeers crafted a malicious copy of the XCode program, used in creating iOS apps. They named it as XcodeGhost.

The key functionality of the app granted to steak personal details and then send it to the remote servers monitored by hackers. The possibility to foist it along with the 6.2.5 WeChat version. Consequently, Tencent took immediate measures to remove the affected app from the public access.

Advice how to secure your account:

do not add unknown people to your contact list

link your account to a trustworthy email account and the mobile to recover it in the future

do not trust any one asking for money via the app. In case your contact friend asks for such favour, inquire them again to verify the content of the message

restrain from disclosing personal details on the app

do not disclose your Weixin password

avoid clicking on the links received from unknown senders. Note that even if your friends send you the link, it might be just a harbinger of malware.

Transmission techniques of the malware

Taking into account the fact, that the application is compatible with Android, iOS, iPhone and Android, all users of the latter operating systems may be targeted with WeChat virus versions. If you are about to install the application, download its sample from the official www.wechat.com site.

Downloading the app from secondary sources and especially the ones which are published by ‘unknown’ people might boost the probability to install a corrupted version.

During the installation, opt for the ‘Advanced’ mode which would reveal optional offers. Deselect all relevant add-ons. Lastly, bear in mind the above-suggested tips. Do not forget to make up a complex account password and change it every few months or more often if necessary.

Ways to eliminate WeChat virus

If you have doubts whether you have installed the compromised version of the app, or you noticed unusual behavior while using the application, you may apply removal methods. One of the optimal options is to scan the device with malware elimination tool. This utility will remove WeChat virus and its components.

In case, you are dealing with a more elaborate version of the malware, you may need to reboot the device into Safe Mode. Below you will find further instructions how you can do it effectively. Then, you will be able to complete WeChat virus removal. If you are looking for a way how to get rid of the infection on Android, check the following elimination guidelines.

We might promote some affiliate products. An entire disclosure is provided in our Terms and Conditions. By Downloading any recommended Anti-spyware software to uninstall WeChat virus you accept our privacy policy and terms and conditions.

What to do if failed?
If you failed to remove infection using Reimage, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.

Computer security experts recommend using Reimage to uninstall WeChat virus. Reimage scans the entire computer system and checks whether it is infected with spyware/malware or not. If you want to remove computer threats and secure your computer system, you should consider buying the licensed version of Reimage. You can find more details about this program in Reimage review.

Once your computer starts, select Enable Safe Mode with Networking from the list of options in Startup Settings.

Step 2: Remove WeChat

Sign in to your account and launch any Internet browser. Download a legitimate anti-malware software, for instance, Reimage. Make sure you update it to the latest version and then run a full system scan with it to detect and eliminate all malicious components of the ransomware to remove WeChat completely.

If your ransomware does not allow you to access Safe Mode with Networking, please follow the instructions provided below.

phoned computer support specialists
downloaded a security program
removed it using free removal instructions
used an automatic removal tool and removal instructions
contacted support via email
got answer via Ask Us service